Review Article

Sugar Alcohols, Caries Incidence, and Remineralization of Caries Lesions: A Literature Review

Table 4

Concentration of calcium (determined by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry) in dental plaque of subjects who used products containing xylitol.

Study Xylitol Control or sucrose Remarks

Chewing of xylitol gums (paraffin as control)1.22 ±0.450.78 ±0.30In g/mg fresh weight (n = 10–12; . Sorbitol gave similar results [98].

Chewing of xylitol gum (compared with sucrose gum and gum base) 3.7 ±0.5 2.4 ±0.2In g/mg dry weight (n = 83). Gum base: 3.4 ±0.7. Significance of differences was not given [99].

Rinsing with 0.4 M xylitol or sucrose solutions 0.90 0.67In g/mg protein. Plaque pools from 11 subjects in both groups. 0.01 M Na cyclamate: 0.60 [100].

Xylitol or sorbitol chewing gum compared with no gum 1.77 ±0.99 1.70 ±1.33In % dry weight in plaque. No gum: 1.24 ±0.82%. For both polyols: when compared with no gum. n = 25 [101].